A new study from Western New England University (WNE) has revealed that regular grape consumption could positively impact muscle health, especially during aging. Published in the journal Foods, the research tracked 480 mice over a two-and-a-half-year period, examining how grapes influenced muscle gene expression at a fundamental level. Funded partially by the California Table Grape Commission, the findings suggest that adding grapes to our daily diet might help support muscle health, particularly in aging populations.
The Impact of Grape Consumption on Muscle Health
The study comes at a time when muscle loss, or sarcopenia, is affecting millions of older adults globally. Sarcopenia, the progressive loss of muscle mass and function, is experienced by 10-16% of elderly individuals. Women are particularly vulnerable to muscle loss after menopause, making the findings of this study especially relevant for aging females. Researchers found that consuming an amount of grapes equivalent to two servings per day led to significant changes in muscle-related gene expression.
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The research highlights that both male and female mice showed notable genetic shifts after regular grape consumption. However, the changes were especially pronounced in females, whose gene activity patterns started resembling those typically seen in males. Additionally, the gene expression related to lean muscle mass increased, while genes associated with muscle degeneration were reduced, indicating that grapes may improve muscle function.
Complementing Muscle Maintenance
Dr. John Pezzuto, senior investigator of the study and professor at Western New England University, noted that regular grape consumption could complement other muscle maintenance strategies, such as exercise and high-protein diets. The study provides compelling evidence that grapes might enhance muscle health at the genetic level, offering a safe and easily accessible dietary option for aging individuals.
This research opens up exciting possibilities for further human trials to explore how quickly these changes can be observed in humans, potentially leading to new strategies to combat muscle loss in aging populations.
